Manager, Software (Embedded & Digital Products)

Job Description

Who will you be working with?

As the Manager, Software (Embedded & Digital Products), you will report to the Manager, Engineering & Products and lead a multidisciplinary software organization responsible for embedded software, digital platforms and backend services, customer-facing applications, and independent software test and validation.

You will work closely with product management, hardware engineering, quality, operations, cybersecurity, sales, and customer support. Together, you will develop reliable rail-electronics solutions and scalable digital products that solve real customer challenges.

This is an opportunity to shape how software is developed, delivered, and commercialized across a growing portfolio of embedded and digital products.

How will you make a difference?

You will help evolve the software organization from a primarily project and maintenance-focused function into a product-line organization that supports differentiated hardware products, recurring digital services, and sustainable business growth.

You will set the technical direction and establish the operating model needed to deliver today’s customer commitments while building reusable platforms and capabilities for the future.

In this role, you will:

• Shape and maintain the software product vision, technology roadmap, and investment plan for embedded and digital products, aligning priorities with the business STRAP, customer needs, market opportunities, and financial objectives.
• Lead the Embedded Software, Digital Platforms and Backend, UX and Application, and Software Test and Validation functions, creating clear priorities, strong collaboration, and shared accountability for results.
• Guide the development of a common, modular software platform across Monitoring, Test Equipment, Locomotive Control Systems, Remote Access, and related products to increase reuse, shorten development cycles, and improve long-term maintainability.
• Expand capabilities in remote access, fleet analytics, connected-asset services, predictive maintenance, cloud services, APIs, licensing, and secure over-the-air updates.
• Balance customer-funded NRE work with investment in reusable product platforms, SaaS offerings, and future digital services.
• Establish practical software architecture and engineering standards covering modular design, hardware abstraction, communications, cybersecurity, configuration management, documentation, CI/CD, and testing.
• Help teams deliver products that meet applicable cybersecurity, functional-safety, quality, customer, regulatory, and Wabtec requirements, including ISO 9001, CMMI, and applicable Safety Integrity Level requirements.
• Improve delivery predictability by strengthening estimation, capacity and release planning, risk and dependency management, effort tracking, and delivery reporting.
• Build effective requirements-management practices using IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS, including requirements baselines, traceability, change control, review workflows, and linkage to design and verification evidence.
• Strengthen release quality through independent verification and validation, automated regression testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, cybersecurity testing, and formal release qualification.
• Use business, product, quality, and engineering information to guide roadmap priorities, investment decisions, and continuous improvement.
• Connect software priorities and product-roadmap decisions to customer value and business performance, including revenue, orders, book-to-bill, gross margin, EBIT, installed-base growth, utilization, and recurring revenue.
• Explore automation and AI-enabled engineering practices that can reduce time to market while maintaining appropriate review, validation, documentation, and configuration control.
• Collaborate with product management and sales on market analysis, proposals, business cases, customer commitments, pricing, and commercialization strategies.
• Support the growth of software architects, technical leads, developers, test engineers, and validation specialists through coaching, meaningful goals, performance feedback, succession planning, and professional development.
• Create an inclusive and collaborative environment that values accountability, technical excellence, innovation, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

What would make you successful in this role?

We are looking for a software leader who combines technical depth with a strong product and business mindset. You do not need to be an expert in every technology listed, but you should be comfortable leading multidisciplinary teams and making informed technical and commercial decisions.

The following experience will help you succeed:

• A bachelor’s degree in software engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related technical discipline. An advanced degree would be an asset.
• Eight (8+) or more years of progressive software engineering experience, including at least three (3+) years leading software teams, technical programs, or product-platform delivery.
• Experience leading embedded software development, along with experience in at least one or mored of the following areas:
  • Cloud or backend platforms
  • Web or desktop applications
  • Data platforms
  • Software test automation
• Strong knowledge of C/C++, embedded Linux or RTOS environments, device communications, firmware lifecycle management, hardware and software integration, and debugging practices.
• Familiarity with modern digital-platform technologies. Relevant technologies may include C#, .NET, Python, REST APIs, SQL, MQTT, Docker, Kubernetes, Microsoft Azure, or AWS.
• Experience developing modular architectures, reusable software platforms, software product lines, APIs, secure update mechanisms, or configuration-management practices.
• Experience improving software delivery through a combination of requirements management, estimation, Agile planning, CI/CD, automated testing, engineering metrics, and release governance.
• Experience using IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS or a comparable requirements lifecycle-management system.
• An understanding of cybersecurity-by-design, secure communications, authentication and authorization, vulnerability management, and software-product risk mitigation.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 and CMMI in an engineering environment. Experience with safety-critical or regulated transportation products would be an asset.
• A product and business mindset, with the ability to connect software investment to customer value, product performance, lifecycle cost, and profitable growth.
• Experience using data and metrics to assess business cases, prioritize product roadmaps, and evaluate commercial and engineering outcomes.
• Strong communication, people-leadership, stakeholder-management, and change-management skills.
• The ability to travel to customer or Wabtec sites, including international locations, approximately 10 to 25 percent of the time.
• If your experience does not align with every item but you believe you can bring strong software leadership, sound judgment, and a passion for building successful products, we encourage you to apply.

What might your typical day look like?

No two days will be exactly the same. Your activities will vary depending on customer commitments, product priorities, and where teams are in the software development lifecycle.

On a typical day, you may:

• Meet with team leads to review portfolio priorities, sprint and release progress, capacity, risks, dependencies, quality indicators, and customer commitments.
• Make resource and sequencing decisions that balance current customer deliveries with investment in reusable product platforms and future digital services.
• Coach architects and technical leads as they work through software architecture, hardware and software interfaces, cybersecurity, test strategy, and platform decisions.
• Help teams remove delivery barriers and ensure they have clear requirements, acceptance criteria, estimates, milestones, and verification plans.
• Review requirements quality, traceability, baselines, and change control in DOORS.
• Discuss business, product, delivery, quality, and engineering performance with stakeholders and agree on actions where results are outside target.
• Collaborate with product management, hardware engineering, quality, operations, sales, and customer support on roadmaps, proposals, releases, field issues, and commercialization plans.
• Engage with customers and business leaders to understand operational needs and translate them into scalable product capabilities.
• Support the team through hiring, coaching, delegation, performance discussions, succession planning, and targeted technical development.
• Promote effective documentation, revision control, design reviews, test evidence, and compliance with applicable Wabtec processes and policies.

What about the physical demands of the job?

The role may require occasional travel to customer sites, which may involve standing, observing small writing and labels, climbing, and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary.

· Ability to lift, carry, and move test hardware and equipment up to 50 lbs.

· Ability to work at a lab bench performing hands-on testing, setup, and troubleshooting.

· Ability to connect and interact with small components, cables, and test fixtures.

· Ability to stand or sit for extended periods depending on testing needs.

· Ability to visually inspect hardware devices and test systems.

· Ability to work in an electronics lab environment following ESD and safety protocols.

· Ability to use hand tools (e.g., screwdrivers) for assembling and maintaining test setups.

· Have manual dexterity to be able to work with various hardware for testing purposes.

You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary range for this role is between $95,000 to $120,000 annually. The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands, and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

Wabtec offers a comprehensive benefits plan including vacation, health, dental, and retirement

Wabtec will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in Canada for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background check.

This role is also eligible for a performance bonus.

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Additional Information

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other.

If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.

Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.

Culture powers us and the possibilities.

We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress.

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more.

Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.